September also was not a good month for me with starting college back up again...hoping to finally be out of the 130s by halloween!

I feel GREAT. Ran 5 miles with the bf after work and it was EASY, we kept up 9 minute miles on average and sprinted the last half mile. I am completely stuffed from my dinner - a whole bag of steam-in-bag veggies, chicken breast and spinach and mushrooms and peppers and egg cooked in water, with vidalia onion relish and a little cheese as "dressing." My roommate made incredible pumpkin gyoza:



And we found some political Halloween masks at Walmart last night, which I hope doesn't violate the "Politics and Twinkies" thing - not a flattering angle but you get the gist:



ChickieChicks WOO for working out and for October, one of my favorite months too! My face is NOT getting too thin, if anything it's still a bit wider than I'd prefer. I don't dig my tiny bones sometimes, at 126ish where I am now I am very squishy all over.

JossFit Ugh that sounds inefficient - I hate when you have access to really good healthcare and it just isn't up to par. Shoot with the gym creeper stories - I am sure you've had everything under the sky when it comes to that! Amazing dinner as usual. Come cook for me!

Krampus: too funny! Also, good job on the run! I really wish I was a bit faster of a runner. I have a hard time pushing myself past my comfort zone.

I really think this new Trader Joes near my house is going to be the death of me. Too many delicious things in a close proximity. So many yummy things!

Krampus - you are amazing! haha that meal looks delish

Chickiechicks - love the home reno

Joss - How many calories are in those noodles?

Turbo - Congrats on the 4lb loss

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I had a "whoosh" I'm down 2 lbs I'd like to drop 4 lbs before Halloween, my unofficial goal is 130 by Christmas but my body really doesn't like going under 135 so we'll see.

Chickie - Ugh, seriously. You bring up good points though; I don't take for granted that I get medical care for free, but on the rare occasion that I get treatment from a non-military medical source it is hands-down superior to what I get from the government. Just as an example... that appointment I had yesterday was the third attempt to be seen (after they incorrectly scheduled the first one and canceled the second) and then during the appointment yesterday the doctor seemed clueless. She DID order Xrays for me, but then did not call me with the results as promised so I don't know if they show anything or not. She also did not email me my profile stating that I'm exempt from PT testing (which is important because I am scheduled to test this month, ironically).
Even if all that had happened, it's still the fact that I know it will take several more appointments to figure out what the issue is, IF EVER, and it will realistically take months. By that time whatever small thing it is now could be a big thing. That is exactly what happened to me when I went from having a very small stress fracture in my femur to one that was so severe it required emergency surgery to pin it back together.

Maymarza - So what's the plan to get to your goal?

Krampus - Your roommate's gyoza looks amazing. Gyoza and pumpkin are two of my favorite things, and putting them together sounds downright orgasmic... hahaha.
Hmm, lets see... well one gym-creeper story (to start with); on my last trip to Afghanistan I had a very cute very nice guy start chatting with me a bit at the gym. He brought me a bottle of water one day, compared ab routines with me, etc. Totally normal stuff, and he was pretty cool. Well, a couple of weeks of this went by and one day he used our instant messenger program to randomly contact me at work. He started off just casually saying hi at random times, which didn't bother me, but then he got creepy...
He started getting all deep on me and telling me that he had been in some firefights recently and on the wrong end of a VBIED, and that the last thing he saw before blacking out was my face. Mind you, all this happened to him BEFORE he ever spoke to me. He was going on and on about how I saved his life and he felt this huge urge and 'draw' to be with me and yada yada... weird stuff.
I could go on for days about that guy in particular and how weird he got, but he was definitely the most intense.

I've got about a bazillion random stories of guys trying to chat me up, using stupid lines, etc. though. I'll share a few more later on.

Glad you had an awesome run!

Lisa - Those are shiritake or 'miracle' noodles... so, ZERO calories. That whole meal was only 155 calories; 200g of mixed asparagus, zuchinni and onion = 40 calories, 113g shrimp = 100 calories, 5 calories for the dash of sriracha and 10 calories for 1 TBS soy sauce.

HOLY MOLY, it's chattier (... it's probably not a word) than ever!

krampus : At least your annoying guy is young, I was always going to the gym early in the morning and it was only old people. What's more crepy than being hit on by a random dude? Being hit on by a random ''you could be my grandpa'' dude with the belly the size of 3 soccer balls (I know that the only woman in were me and this 58 years old woman wearing a wolves tshirt, but still).

Love your pictures bwahahah! Don't get arrested for that!

Chickie : Hey, I'm supposed to run a 10k on the 28th, just one day after you! (I'm not feeling super optimistic about this either, though!) I love the tummy LODGE ahahah! My face has been losing weight too until last summer! I wasn't minding my cheekbumps.. can we shift a bit this weight from the stomach to the cheeks, please?

Joss : Thumbs down for not having any news about your feet! How was the chia seeds and the quinoa flakes? The chia seeds really do looks like the grossest thing in the world to me (sorry LOL) but I heard that you can substitude it for an egg when you bake... or is it flax seed... Meeeh I'm confused!

maymarza : welcome!

aragosa : We don't have Trader Joe in Canada. Is that junk?

Lisa : Nice woosh! I remember you were having some hard time passed a certain point. Hope it goes more smoothly this time

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134.4 this morning, totally fine with that! I was alone last night for the Meathless Monday night (the boyfriend in in Montreal for a conference and I'm prettyyyy sure he had a steak and beer) so I was happy to enjoy my spaghetti squash with tomato and basil sauce and a bit of parmesan. Yummm.

I tried to go for a run last night for the first time since the half (it been 8 days). It was horrible. I was going too fast and was weirdly not able to maintain a slower pace, I was overdressed and way to hot and after about 2k, the feet started to hurt. It is weird, it's like my right feet just does not fit my right shoe anymore. My feet feels too large (but it's not swollen) and it's like my arch does not fit anymore in it neither. I stopped at four because I was probably running weirdly, trying not to put too much weight on the feet, and something started pulling in the calf.

But as soon as I was home and that I changed into my normal shoes, it stopped being painful (now I'm just feeling a little something which was probably just triggered by the run).

I've stopped being paid last friday and I so don't have the money for new running shoes (plus it is frustrating because I got them only in July). I should go and see someone but I don't want to be told ''stop running and stop sport for a while'' because I have a few sport things that I really want to attend this month. BLEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

I'm gonna call it quit on running for the week, gonna try biking thursday to keep the feet safe for our big hike on saturday.

I'm going to try and be more committed to going to the gym. I've been doing good with that the past few weeks, probably going increase my cardio though. And start watching my carb intake. They are my weakness

Turbo - Oh yeah, the chia and quinoa experiment from this morning... BLECH! haha, okay it wasn't THAT bad, but it isn't something I'll be doing again. If I had added some cocoa powder or cinnamon or something to give it more color I think it would have been better, but just the combination of quinoa, chia and egg whites ended up looking like a big grey bowl of fish eggs! I added stevia and almond extract to it, so the taste was just fine, but visually it was a bit off-putting.

Yeesh, I'm sorry your run wasn't great this morning. It can be hard getting back into it even if you only took just over a week off from it, and I'm sure you were probably a bit hyperfocused on your foot because of the injury. I'm sure that didn't help.
I've been in that same situation before where I don't want to go see someone about an injury for fear they will tell me not to workout, but as I'm getting older I'm realizing a few things; 1 - Not working out will not make me instantly gain weight... EATING TOO MUCH will. 2 - Ignoring a nagging injury or something that feels odd only makes it worse. Time off, stretching, and doing alternate exercises helps. If that doesn't work then it's time to see someone.

I actually did a little running this morning just to test the waters a bit, and so far there really is no change. I can feel a bit of added pressure in my boot, but no pain still which is good. I'm keeping the running to light jogs, only 10-15 minutes, and only a couple of times per week. I don't want to stop completely but I'm definitely not going to push it either.

Oh, and for you and krampus - I've had old "gym stalkers" as well! Again, same trip as the crazy 'you saved my life' guy, there was a man who was probably 55 (which isn't insanely OLD, but as a 26 year old at that time it's not exactly appealing to me) and he would get as close to me as possible and just STARE.
Then, once or twice he actually tried to talk to me and ask me for tips on working legs. yeah, I buy that. This guy was about 6'1 and 250 pounds, built like a brick $hithouse and pretended not to know what muscles hack squats worked. Puh-leeze! I don't mind bad gym come-ons for the most part (after all, you gotta give someone credit for attempting to approach a stranger) but it was the staring that I hated. He'd get on the elliptical next to me as I was warming up and literally just turn his head 45 degrees to the side and gawk at me. Gross.

Maymarza - Keep in mind that trying to peel off those 'last few' pounds is going to be considerably harder. You and I are the same height, and getting down to 120 (or less in my case) requires a pretty spot-on diet and a pretty intensive training program... assuming of course that you want to LOOK GOOD at 120 pounds and not just be little. Make sure that during those workouts you're hauling some HEAVY weights, lifting with INTENSITY, and really being mindful not only of how many calories you are eating but what kind as well.
I know people say that it's calories in versus calories out, which it true TO A POINT... but for those of us Feathers or those trying to peel off those last few vanity pounds the source of your calories really matters.

After starting to cry in the lab bathrooms by myself after thinking of the feet (yes, I'm that freaked out) I decided to scr*w the cost (hello, visa card) and I made an appointment with a physiotherapist. I really want to know where I stand for my hike next saturday and for running in general.

I'm going to see a physiotherapist tomorrow (after almost crying at the lady who wanted to get me an appointment only next week) and they're are gonna do some analysis on my run. I'm gonna dressed up and .. run I guess. I can't wait to hear the outcome (please, no dreadful orthesis) but I think I just want to know what is wrooooong.

ChickieChicks - I also forgot to say how wonderful those pictures look! You've worked hard on that! I also wonder about the weight loss in my face. I still have a lot to lose and I keep thinking sheesh how much more can I lose in my face. All I can see is all of the wrinkles in my face being accentuated with every pound I lose. And LOL @ Tummy Lodge, I am going to be using that one!

Ms A - What's your major?

Lilbert - I'm also looking VERY forward to the 130s. It doesn't seem terribly far away anymore!

Fresh15again - How have you been? Do you feel like you're getting things back on track?

Kate27 - That's definitely a motivating event! You can totally do it!

LisaTCan - I think October is going to be a GREAT month! High five on the whoosh!!!

Krampus - Great job on the run! I'm such a sloooooooow runner. It's taken me forever to work up to an 11 minute mile! And LOL @ those masks!!!

TurboMammoth - Probably a good idea to rest from running for a bit. I know it can be hard to swallow though, I had a high ankle sprain back in late May and it sidelined me from most cardio for about 8 weeks. I'd try too early and re-hurt it and have to wait longer. Just take care of yourself! P.S. I used to do Meatless Mondays, I think I will bring that back!!!

Aragosa - I'm probably lucky I don't have any Trader Joe's very nearby!

JossFit - I HAVE to try those noodles. I know so many people say they are gross, but I love noodles so much I just can't pass up trying some that I don't have to feel guilty about! And look at you saving people's lives with just the mere vision of your face!!! HAHAHA! Awesome!

Maymarza - Carbs are my weakness too!


WHEW, I hope I didn't miss anyone!!!

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UP another pound today, but TOM arrived so that explains it. I did end up upping my calories yesterday to about 1600, I was feeling seriously horrible after my workout and just had to eat a little more. I could tell my workout suffered because of my super low energy. I don't want my workouts to suffer! Not cool. I've also notice my asthma has been acting up, I don't know if it could be because of the VLCs, or if it's a coincidence. Either way. I think I'm going to do my normal calorie level now, and I've been really working on adding more veg to my diet. I kind of go through phases with veg, I do good for a while, then I totally suck. Well, as you can see, not much going on with me today!

On Sunday evening instead of catching up here like I had planned (I was pretty tired) I ended up buying Ben & Jerrys (karamelsutra, y'know it was kind of too rich but I kept going), lots of chips and then stuffed myself with popcorn and anything else I could find. Yesterday I managed to not go crazy but I still want to eat everything! I think I'm half sick, I'm completely wrecked and a bit woozy but unfortunately my appetite hasn't suffered. Agh! September was a bad month and I'm hoping October won't be the same. I'm not sure if it's the same for any of you but this time of year is often a bad one for me. I guess I'm not looking forward to the Winter.

Turbo Ahh I really hope your foot's ok! It's good that you booked an appointment anyway and they'll take a good look at it. With health things it's better to just spend the money rather than let it go on. I really hope it's ok though! Your pictures from the race looked amazing! Congratulations on that and your weight seems to be back in your happier range

Joss What's the deal with the military Doctors? Are they just generally not as good or is it the system as a whole? Sucks that you were cancelled on so many times.

Hope you're feeling better again too. I read about your binging, I don't really know what to say other than send you lots of virtual hugs. It's just really hard and painful. I'm sorry it happened.

I'm not much of a fast pooping, kettlebell swinging badass this week haha, I'm trying though.

krampus Aw that wedding looked really lovely! I love it when people do something different.
Ugh, unwanted male attention. I really hate those situations because if you don't respond in a positive way they often become aggressive/annoyed that you're not delighted that they think you're pretty. Well that's my experience anyway.
Hope the detox week goes well! Seems like there's a few of us feeling huge right now..

ChickieChicks The house looks amazing! You must be so relieved that it's finished. I hope things will be a bit less crazy for you now and you can enjoy all of your hard work.

LockItUp Welcome! I always enjoy your posts on the board, so stick around. How long were you doing VLC? My brain can't even comprehend that right now, I really want to eat everything. I'll eat your extra calories, ok! Deal!

LisaTCan congratulations on the whoosh! Yay!


Welcome to everyone else too! Sorry if I missed anyone, agh.

Welcome to all the newbies in here

Chickie The renovations look great! Isn't it nice when all that hard work finally pays off. I've never done an extensive renovation like that myself, but I sure was thrilled when I finished my painting project, and my husband finished fencing the backyard. We won't be taking on any HUGE projects for a couple more years, at which point, we'll be finishing the basement.

I sure wish my face would get thin, but I've always had a round, chubby looking face, even when I was 115 in high school. I just put a few family photo on facebook the other day, and a lot of people on my facebook don't know about the weight loss. Well you couldn't see my body in the weight loss, and while my face definitely looks thinner, it doesn't really indicate that I am skinny now. I'm going to be really excited to post goal photos on there and hopefully I'll get a big reaction because I rarely see most of those people very often in real life.

Chickie & Joss Sucks to hear about the military health care there. It just reminds me that I shouldn't take for granted that we have free health care in Canada. Though I assume that we might have to deal with some of the same stuff as you guys, waiting longer for appointments and what not, because it's not privatized. It is actually very difficult to find a family doctor around here. We only found ours because a nurse practitioner at the hospital referred us after our daughter was born. I think normally there is like a 2 year waiting list. But I am very happy with the practice we are at now, we can get in really fast if we have an issue, but I know a lot of people who have trouble getting in to see their doctors though.

Krampus You sound like you are doing great with your running! I find most people around here tend to focus on either weight training, or running, but you really seem to embrace both to the fullest. I try my best to balance both my cardio and weight training too, and I think I do an okay job at it, but I don't do as much as I'd like to, since I'm often busy with my daughter. I actually hate to admit that I haven't gone for a run in weeks! And my 5k run is next Monday. But I'm not worried about it, because it was pretty easy for me to run 5k when I started. I'm still keeping up with my cardio on the elliptical in my basement, so that seems to keep me in good enough shape to go out and run 5k. I'm sure when I get to running 10k, I'll have to train more specifically for running though.

Turbo My dad actually purposely didn't tell his doctor about the 5k run because he knew he'd tell him not to run it. He wanted an excuse to be able to do the run, and claim ignorance. I know he's been testing the waters a bit with his foot, and the blood clot issue he had, but I'm honestly not sure how he's doing with it. I guess we'll see on Monday. I'm not sure I'd take his approach, but I can't really tell my dad what he should or shouldn't do, nor do I really know how bad his leg is. Part of me feels bad, like I'm pressuring him into it, but truth be told, all I did was ask him to do the race before I knew about the blood clot, and I was quite accepting when he told me he couldn't do it. He just called me up out of the blue one day and told me he was registering.

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I know I probably missed a bunch of people, but I just did a quick scan back to make posting a bit less overwhelming!

In any case, I am doing pretty well with things. I did have the buffet on my birthday, but I felt really good about allowing myself to indulge, as I had a big whoosh right before hand, and was down to 125.4 the morning of my birthday. My low before that was 127. This morning I was 130.4 after those indulgences, but I'm not at all worried about it. I am planning on being much more reasonable with my thanksgiving meals this weekend, though.

My goal for October is to hit the goal weight on my ticker, 125. Given I was almost there a couple days ago, I have no doubt that I'll hit that this month. I will probably lower it to 120, given that I'm not quite where I want to be. I am anticipating I might lower it to 115 eventually, but we'll see how I feel at 120. I definitely won't go any lower than 115, that was my high school weight and I can't imagine being any smaller than that. Right now I"m pretty happy with everything, except for my stomach. I'm not sure if I will be able to get my stomach to where I want it to be considering that I have a child, but I'm willing to at least try and see if I can, and then decide where I want to maintain.

JessicaB great job with that whoosh! Hopefully within a day or two you'll be back to within a pound or so of where you were when you woke up on your bday.

Leila When I get sick I either lose my appetite, or more often, get ravenous. I guess my body uses all the fuel it can get to fight off the illness, at least that's how it works in my mind. I hope you are feeling better!

LockItUp You definitely have to listen to your body! It sounds like you made a good decision to listen to your body telling you it's low on reserves and upping your intake.

Turbo I am glad you got an appointment! It's always best to figure out what is going on if resting hasn't worked after a couple days. Now you'llknow what is happening and be able to fix it.

maymarza Consistency with working out will definitely help! Will staying away from carbs lower your calorie intake or will you just replace them with something else? I was reading something someone posted on Fitocracy saying how macronutrient proportions aren't as important as total calories in. Though, I do find that high protein snacks pack more of a punch as far as being filling than carbs do!

krampus that picture with the masks is hilarious!

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I know I left people out. I kinda only included this page.

Been doing good. Hanging steady around 153/154 still. I have been doing good with my calories, but bad with my exercising. I seem to have developed a cyst in a very uncomfortable area, which google tells me is most likely a blocked sweat glad. I'm a little concerned about making it to gymnastics this week, I actually think it was caused from my leotards being a bit tight on me in the legs. Thankfully I only have one client today, so I only have to wear underwear for a few hours which I hope will help cut down on the irritation. I guess I will have to try just wearing bike shorts and a tight top tomorrow instead of the leotard... I just hope moving so much itself doesn't irritate it more. If it doesn't start getting better in a day or so I'll have to go to the doctor about it. Boo. I just REALLY have to make sure to make it to gymnastics tomorrow because I stopped when I got a sebaceous cyst 2 years ago and didn't go back for like a year and a half.

I am just glad that the monopoly game at McDonalds hasn't eaten my SOUL yet, this happens every year. I decide to watch what I eat in September, and the end of the month BAM Monopoly game and my compulsion to eat McDonalds EVERY DAY hits hard.

~Katy

Good! Let us know how it goes.

I never understood people refusing to try something. If they don't like it, they don't have to eat it, but if they do they might have a new favorite thing or at least one more tool in their kit!

I LOVE them, and I think they taste great... but I always rinse them and then cook them with whatever the rest of the dish is, so they absorb all the flavor.

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I'm guessing the allergies is a coincidence, but in either case, I hope upping your calories again for a while helps you feel better!